Project Management Leadership

PART 1

Discussing the various types of leadership styles along with their roles

Leadership refers to skills and abilities in relation to providing guidance to others regarding their working aspects. Hence, there are mainly three types of leadership styles that can be undertaken by the manager of construction project are as follows:

Autocratic leadership

Under such leadership style, manager only lays emphasis on providing instructions to others. In this, manager or leader of project does not take any input from individuals while taking decisions (AlMazrouei and Zacca, 2015).

Participative leadership

In such leadership style, with the motive to boost employee morale and motivation leader focuses on taking input from team members. Hence, leaders who follow such leadership style consider their team members and their suggestions more valuable.

Laissez faire leadership

On the basis of such style or practices, manager does not focus on doing close supervision of personnel (Avolio and Mhatre, 2012). This style of leadership is suitable when employees are skilled and experienced.

Contextual leadership implies for the one in which leader makes focus on aligning resources with the objectives. By taking into account such aspect it can be stated that leader of construction project should employ participative style of leadership. Moreover, by taking input from team member’s manager of construction project can assess the areas where more resources are required.

PART 2

Stating the extent to which delegation of task ensures smooth functioning of business operations

In the recent times, to accomplish project within the suitable time with appropriate quality standards it is highly required for manager to delegate roles and responsibilities among the individuals. This in turn prevents duplication of performance and thereby ensures timely delivery of outcomes. The rationale behind the delegation of roles is that each individual has expertise in some specific area. Thus, by allocating the roles to individuals according to their level of expertise manager or leader of team can ensure smooth functioning of the business operations as well as functions (Barrick and et.al., 2013). By doing this, manager would become able to meet quality standards to a great extent. For instance: in the case of construction of building project manager delegates several tasks among the team members are enumerated below:

• Ensuring enough availability of material: In the construction project, functioning or performance is highly influences from the availability of raw material. Moreover, without having raw material labour would not become able to work (Daft, 2014). Thus, by giving responsibility regarding this to one personnel leader can prevent issues significantly.
• In addition to this, effectual labour management is highly required for completing project on time. On the basis of such aspect, by giving responsibility to specific personnel to ensure that labours are making their best efforts.
• Besides this, leader of team has accountability to set highly realistic or competent budgeting framework that helps in making optimum utilization of funds (Daicoff, 2012). Besides this, manager also plays a vital role in providing training to personnel which in turn makes contribution in attainment of project goals and objectives.

In this way, by assigning specific tasks or responsibilities to the individuals leader would become able to meet goals and objectives. However, sometimes delegation aspect creates problem in front of leader. Moreover, sometimes individuals involved in project team do not have sufficient experience pertaining to specific work aspect. This in turn places direct and negative impact on project outcome or success. In this, manager can avoid undesirable impact of such situation by conducting training and development session (Iqbal, 2013). Hence, by providing training to personnel leader would become able to build highly effectual team. Thus, by taking suitable action or measure according to situation leader would become able to ensure smooth functioning of activities to a great extent.

PART 3

Assessing the aspects which are associated with effectual team leadership

Effectual leadership is the key of success in the highly strategic business environment. The main reasons behind this, leaders simply the task which individuals need to be performed by providing specific guidance or instructions. Moreover, leader provides clear guidance as well as direction to team members and thereby facilitates timely achievement of goals. From assessment, it has been identified that some good leaders have managerial skills from their birth. By doing analysis of concerned article, it has found that individuals are usually promoted as leaders without any formal training (Kathy and Deborah, 2007). Moreover, it is assumed that individuals who are performing their activities more effectually having leadership and management potential. On the other side, some individuals become a good leader by developing specific skills and abilities. In order to become a good leader, manager must have following skills and attributes such as:

Effectual communication

Team leader must have good communication skills because absence of such aspect may result into lack of co-ordination Thus, leader is required to timely communicate project goals, expected outcomes and potential improvements. By doing this, manager can facilitate high level of co-ordination among team members.

Analytical and decision making

Manager of project is also highly required to take suitable decisions according to the situation. Moreover, delay in decision making aspect has greater impact on project outcome and aspect of competitive advantage.

Delegation of roles and responsibilities

For project success, it is highly required for manager to delegate roles and responsibilities in an appropriate manner. Thus, manager must have ability in relation to allocating task among the individuals by assessing their expertise level.

Hence, to become a good and effectual leader individual must have all the above mentioned attributes (Kaur, 2015). Thus, by working on the aspect of good communication, analysis etc. an individual can become an effectual leader. Thus, it can be said that individual are born as well as can be made.

PART 4

Presenting different types of organizational structure that affect the success of project

Organizational structure provides deeper insight about the manner in which individuals will report to others regarding their working aspects and practices. There are mainly two types of organizational structures that can be undertaken by project manager to perform activities more efficiently. Both such structure of organization has direct impact on growth or success of project in the following manner:

Flat organizational structure

It refers to the one where few or no layers of management between manager and personnel. In such type of organizational structure manager does less focus on the supervision aspect of employees (Chiang and Hsieh, 2012). Besides, flat structure emphasizes on promoting or enhancing personnel involvement in the decision making aspect. In this, usually all personnel directly give report to one manager. Such structure carries following benefits and drawbacks:

Advantages

• It facilitates better communication and relationship between individuals who are performing varied roles.
• Ensues quick decision making
• Flat structure increases employee responsibility level to a great extent.
• Under flat structure, it is easier for the firm to introduce change and adapt the same without facing more difficulties.

Disadvantages

• In this, individuals found to be confused because they do not have clear idea to whom they need to give report (De Jong and Den Hartog, 2010). Moreover, due to having busy schedule it is not possible for higher manager to give enough time to everyone.
• In large sized business unit, flat structure does not give suitable outcome in the case of large sized business unit.

Hierarchical organizational structure

Under hierarchical structure, each individual directly reports to their respective authorities rather than higher management. Thus, higher manager or CEO invests their valuable time in effectual decision making (Flat v/s hierarchical structure, 2017).

Advantages

• Well defined authority and responsibility
• In this, by promoting personnel firm can motivate personnel to a great extent.
• It offers opportunity to the personnel to develop expertise in their specialized field.

Disadvantages

• Less effectual communication
• Difficult to introduce and adapt change

The above depicted aspect shows that both such structures have some benefits and drawbacks which manager or leader of construction project team should keep in mind while making selection of it. Hence, leader of construction project should opt flat structure which in turn helps in getting the desired level of outcome through the means of sound communication system.

Instant assignment help Australia offers the best project management assignment help to the Australian students. You can directly contact the assignment writer for your assignment work, and they will provide you with high-quality assignment writing services.

Conclusion

From the above report, it has been concluded that participative style of leadership is highly significant which in turn helps the manager of construction project in getting desired outcome. Besides this, it can be revealed from the report that flat organizational structure is highly effectual over others. It can be seen in the report that manager of construction project can prevent duplication of tasks by delegating the roles and responsibilities. Further, it can be inferred that leadership skills can be learnt by individuals through making continuous efforts.

You may also like to read: Project Planning

References

• AlMazrouei, H. and Zacca, R., 2015. Expatriate leadership competencies and performance: a qualitative study. International Journal of Organizational Analysis. 23(3). pp.404-424.
• Avolio, B.J. and Mhatre, K.H., 2012. Advances in theory and research on authentic leadership. The Oxford handbook of positive organizational scholarship. pp.773-783.
• Barrick, M.R. and et.al., 2013. The theory of purposeful work behavior: The role of personality, higher-order goals, and job characteristics. Academy of Management Review. 38(1). pp.132-153.
• Chiang, C.F. and Hsieh, T.S., 2012. The impacts of perceived organizational support and psychological empowerment on job performance: The mediating effects of organizational citizenship behavior. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(1). pp.180-190.
• Daft, R., 2014. The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.
• Daicoff, S.S., 2012. Expanding the Lawyer's Toolkit of Skills and Competencies: Synthesizing Leadership, Professionalism, Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Resolution, and Comprehensive Law. Santa Clara L. Rev. 52. p.795.

UPTO50%

Avail The Benefit Today!

To View this & another 50000+ free

Enter Email

Submit